


Bruises and Balm

by raptorginger



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boxing, Daredevil vibes, F/M, Fluff, I mean i don't believe in it, I'm Going to Hell, Inspired by Music, Loss of Virginity, Nuns, Oral Sex, Praise Kink, Roman Catholicism, Size Difference, Smut, Sort Of, Time isn't precisely specified, but here we are, the boxer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-08-07 03:42:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16400681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raptorginger/pseuds/raptorginger
Summary: As a postulant, Rey’s life is simple, routine, uncomplicated.  The church is her home, has been most of her life.  Yet, she yearns for more.  While out one night breaking the rules to complete an errand, Rey runs into some trouble and is rescued by Ben Solo, aka Kylo Ren, a boxer who trains and fights down the street.  Drawn to him, Rey decides to break some more rules…Inspired byDaredevilseason 3





	1. Gods & Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> Graphic depiction of attempted assault starts at "A loud"... and ends at "was worse?"

Rey tried to walk swiftly but nonchalantly down the cracked cement sidewalk. Like she belonged. Like she wouldn’t get reamed out by Sister Shannon and Father Skywalker if she was caught out by herself at night. The summer night was warm, almost sticky. It was nights like this that made her hate her uniform and long for the freedom of normal clothes. A dark grey linen skirt, white cotton blouse, black cardigan, and a white postulant’s coif felt like a few pieces too many during the city’s hot summer. She mentally chastised herself; she wasn’t supposed to think like that. The sounds of the neighborhood filtered out of open apartment and brownstone windows to surround her - the clinking and clanking of dinner plates and silverware, voices of laughing children, the occasional television. More ambient sounds floated in the air too, giving this set of streets in the city its own distinct flavor. The ring of the bell and the shouts from the gym at the end of the block that indicated a boxing match was underway. The sounds of men and women enjoying libations in the several bars that dotted the neighborhood streets. The solemn toll of the church bell. Every once and a while, a more unpleasant sound would reach her ears, angry shouts, breaking glass, the sound of tears. Rey winced, making a mental note to say an extra prayer before bed for those in pain. That they would find their peace. Or the strength to leave.

Rey looked up sharply as raucous shouting and laughter burst from one of the dimly lit bars. A group of men tumbled out of the door onto the sidewalk a few feet in front of her. Rey looked away quickly and scurried to the other side of the street. She hoped they hadn’t seen her. She wasn’t supposed to be out, but Sister Shannon needed more flour for bread, and Rey had forgotten to get it earlier when she was out with the other postulants. She managed to talk Rose and Paige into keeping quiet and covering for her while she snuck out of the church’s dormitories to grab some flour from the market down the street. She didn’t want the extra chores and Hail Mary’s she was sure Sister Shannon would assign her as penance for forgetting. Again. She’d probably make Rey go to confession too, and Rey really didn’t want to talk to Father Skywalker. He was harsher than Sister Shannon.

A loud wolf whistle echoed across the street, and Rey closed her eyes in dismay. She clutched the sack of flour closer to her chest and quickened her pace. There was no way that was directed at her. No way. Rey chanced a glance over her shoulder. The group of men, four of them, were following her and getting closer. She felt a chill chase down her spine, and she prayed quietly, hoping God heard her pleas for protection. Soon enough, however, the drunkards had surrounded her. Rey looked rapidly from one to the other. They all were leering at her, eyes glazed over with drink, color high. She shook like a rabbit.

“Excuse me, please, gentlemen,” Rey said, trying to sound brave. Like they didn’t terrify her.

The four of them closed in a step, and Rey felt herself shrinking, shaking harder.

“Where you off to in such a hurry, Little Sister?” one of the men slurred, his glassy eyes trying to focus. Rey noticed he was trying to focus on her chest. She hugged her bag closer, as if it were a shield.

For all her fear, Rey had to marvel at the stupidity of the question. “Home. The church,” she stated, putting emphasis on the ‘church’ part. She hoped hearing that would deter whatever horrid thoughts were swirling in the men’s minds.

“Pretty thing like you shouldn’t belong to the church,” one man growled, licking his lips and inching closer.

“I don’t belong to anyone,” Rey snarled, her anger getting the better of her. “Now let me pass.” She tried to shove her way through them, looking resolutely ahead to the spire of the church tower that housed the sonorous bell. It bonged solemnly in the distance.

“You do now,” the third man hissed as he reached out and grabbed Rey’s slim arm. The flour slipped from her arms. Rey yelped and tried to run, panic setting in. This was not how she thought this night was going to go. She was never leaving the cloister again.

The fourth man grabbed her other arm, and the two of them struggled to drag her into the nearby alley. Rey snarled and spat, flailing her limbs to and fro.

“Let me go!” she screamed. The two men holding her threw her down to the ground. Rey winced, feeling grit and glass drag across the skin of her knees.

The first man smacked her hard across the face. Rey whimpered, holding her cheek. She tasted blood. She looked up at the men, but she didn’t see them. Her fear and their lust had twisted them into monsters, their faces terrifying.

“Please let me go,” Rey pleaded, her voice small and trembling. Rey closed her eyes tight and tried to fold in on herself, make herself as small as possible. 

“I don’t think so, Little Sister,” said one of the monsters as he reached behind her head and pulled her coif from her hair, flicking it away. 

“Back off man!” one of the monsters snarled suddenly.

Instead of feeling large monstrous hands on her, she felt nothing. She cracked an eye open and saw the monsters had turned away from her. Something or someone had drawn their attention. She yelped and shut her eyes again as one of the monsters was tossed like a ragdoll almost clear down the alley, a loud crash reverberating along the stone walls. The other monsters started shouting and yelling, all leaping at the welcome interloper. Rey held her hands to the sides of her head, keeping her eyes shut tight to the sounds of fists colliding with flesh, the cracking of bone, the patter of three sets of feet running down the street.

Rey sobbed quietly, curled into a tight ball in the spot where she’d been thrown. She was too scared to open her eyes. What if her attackers had won? What if the man who attacked them was worse?

“You’re bleeding,” a low voice said gently.

Her eyes snapped open and Rey was looking into the warmest pair of dark brown eyes she’d ever seen. One was a bit swollen with a healing shiner, a fresh cut gracing the crest of the cheek beneath it. A vicious scar graced the other. A crooked nose, maybe broken once or twice, and a soft looking mouth, pink lips in a faint smile fleshed out the rest of the man’s face. Pale skin freckled with a few dark moles added more character. Rey saw that the scar went down the man’s face to his neck and beneath the collar of his shirt. Spots of bright red blood dotted the white fabric. The man was crouched in front of her, trying to appear small, like she was. But, he was too broad, too tall, for it to really work. Rey noted his hands were relaxed between his knees, the knuckles bruised and bloodied. One was holding her coif gingerly. She looked back up into his warm eyes.

“You too,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. 

His smile broadened. It was slightly crooked. Rey returned it hesitantly and reached out tentatively for the white fabric in his fingers. Rey jumped and curled back up when she heard a groan from the end of the alleyway. The man turned his head and scowled, his mouth curled in a sneer. No movement followed the groan. He turned back to Rey.

“It’s okay. He’ll be out for a while,” the man reassured her in his gentle voice. He held her coif up. “May I?” he asked softly.

Rey looked at him confused for a moment. “Oh, no. That’s ok, I can do it,” she said, taking the delicate fabric from his fingers and pinning it carefully back over her chestnut hair. Once it was back in place, Rey stared at his outstretched hand, long fingers relaxed.

“Can I help you up?” he asked, his head cocked slightly to the side. His thick dark hair, nearly black, was in desperate need of a wash marred by sweat and blood as it was, but Rey could tell it was soft. Rey hesitantly took his hand, surprised at how gently his fingers wrapped around hers. Strength and power vibrated through him, barely contained, but Rey could tell he was trying to hold it in so as not to frighten her anymore than she already was. He hoisted her up, his large hands resting on her waist to steady her as she wobbled. Her knees hurt badly, and she knew there were streaks of blood down her shins. She had to crane her neck to look into his face. He was very, very tall.

“Thank you,” she murmured as she dusted off her skirt and tugged her cardigan back into place. Rey looked up at her rescuer expectantly.

“Ben,” he said.

Rey shivered. No one should have a voice that mesmerizing. “Thank you, Ben. My name’s Rey,” she said more clearly as she walked towards her dropped bag of flour. Thankfully, it hadn’t ripped at all and appeared clean. Rey heaved it into her arms and sighed. “That’s what I get for sneaking out to avoid penance,” she muttered darkly under her breath.

Ben frowned down at her. He reached out and insistently took the heavy bag from her. “Seems a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

Rey looked up at him, surprised he’d heard her, and let the flour go without protest. She looked away quickly as he slung the bag over his shoulder, the muscles in his arms and back rippling slightly beneath his shirt. Her stomach squirmed with an altogether not unpleasant feeling. 

“I suppose you’re right,” she shrugged. She walked slowly beside him up the block towards the church, grateful for his presence beside her. She felt safe. Protected. She had been taught to believe that God was always there to protect her, especially when she was outside the walls of the church, but Rey found it difficult to believe. Had she been raised in different circumstances, more normal circumstances, she was sure she would have chosen a different life for herself. She found her life, such as it was, stifling. The rules and the doctrine hardly made any sense to her. But, she’d been raised in the church’s orphanage, along with Paige and Rose, and she was afraid to leave. She found comfort in the familiar, in the ritual that was her life, even if she felt suffocated by it.

As they came up on the edge of the gated boundary of the property, Rey tugged on Ben’s arm lightly silently indicating that they needed to turn. They headed away from the imposing Gothic structure towards a more plain set of buildings. Rey stopped in front of the fence and began shaking one bar at a time.

“Umm, what are you doing?” Ben asked with amusement.

“Shh!” Rey hissed. Finally, she found the bar that shook loosely in it’s setting. She gave it a twist and a tug and pulled it out, creating a gap that would be just big enough for Ben to get through. She hopped through and motioned for Ben to follow, resetting the bar afterwards. She crept quietly along the wall of the building, Ben following, until she reached a basement window. She leapt down down into the gap and pushed on the pane of glass until it swung open. She’d gone out this way earlier and said a silent prayer of thanks that no one had noticed it was left ajar. No one was usually up at this hour anyway. She jumped down into the basement, wincing slightly at the pain in her scraped knees. She turned to take the flour from Ben, but found him already inside behind her.

Rey turned and pointed towards a nearby shelf. “Could you put that on the middle shelf? Please?” she asked in a whisper. 

Ben nodded, dusting his hands after he’d set the bag down. 

“Where are we?” he asked quietly.

“Basement of the campus. This part is kind of a bulk storage washroom whatever kind of place,” Rey replied as she pawed around in the nearby washroom for medical supplies. Finding the box, she motioned for Ben to sit down on a stool as she grabbed a bottle of peroxide. Rey grabbed another stool and set the box and bottle of peroxide on top, rummaging around for gauze, cotton balls, and clean bandages. She poured some peroxide over a cotton ball and gently began to dab the cut on Ben’s cheek. He winced slightly when the liquid made contact with the open wound.

“Sorry,” Rey breathed, trying to focus on her work. She blushed when she realized she was standing between his knees. She tried to keep her fingers from shaking, but to no avail.

“It’s okay,” Ben mumbled, trying not to move. 

Rey stepped back after affixing a small bandage to Ben’s cut. “There’s a sink just there,” she croaked and pointed towards the washroom. “For your hands,” she added, unnecessarily, she realized. 

The corner of Ben’s mouth quirked up in a smile, and he headed off in that direction.

As the water ran, Rey let out a loud exhale, realizing she’d practically been holding her breath. She looked quickly towards him, but Ben didn’t seem to notice. She took the opportunity to assess herself, kicking off her flats and tugging off her thick stockings. They went all the way past her knees, the elastic bands tight to keep them from slipping down. Rey groaned softly. They were torn. She tossed them near her shoes. One of her knees was definitely in need of cleaning and a bandage; her other looked relatively unscathed although it still stung. Rey frowned and felt around, finding the source of the pain further up her thigh. She slipped off her cardigan and took stock of her blouse. She groaned again when she saw a few small blood stains on the front. She touched her lip, realizing it had been cut. The blood must have dripped down. She unbuttoned it hastily, hoping the stain hadn’t had time to set in. She dashed to the washroom’s other sink in her skirt and camisole, pulling her coif from her hair. That was dirty too. She set the plug in the drain and filled the basin with warm water and a bit of soap, plunging her stained garments in the frothy water. She braced her hands on either side of the porcelain and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Rey gasped when she saw her reflection. A bruise was blooming on her cheek, her lip was cut, and her hair was a mess. Her lower lip began to tremble and tears filled her eyes. She looked away, trying to blink back the tears.

“Rey?” she heard Ben asked gently beside her. The tenderness of his voice touched something inside her, and Rey couldn’t hold the tears back anymore.

She sniffled and walked away, leaving her blouse and coif to soak. She reached out for the peroxide and cotton balls with shaking hands, but Ben beat her to them.

“Let me,” Ben commanded kindly. He pointed to the stool he’d just occupied, motioning for her to sit. Rey obeyed, keeping her head down and her hands clasped in her lap. She watched the tears appear on the skin of her hand, warm and then cold.

Ben kneeled on the stone floor and folded her skirt up the few inches to rest on her knees and began to clean the scrapes gingerly. He placed a square of gauze over the area and whispered, “Hold that.” Rey did as he asked as he cut a length of bandage to wrap around it. He wound the clean white fabric twice around her knee before fastening it, nodding when he’d finished.

“What do you do, Ben?” Rey asked in a watery voice. Maybe if they talked, it would distract her, stop her crying.

“I’m a boxer. I train down the street, actually,” Ben replied in a hushed tone as he stood and urged her chin up gently with his fingers. “Look at me, Rey.”

Rey swallowed thickly and obeyed, looking up into Ben’s warm eyes. Rey frowned in confusion. His eyes were so dilated there was almost no brown at all.

“Are you alright?” she asked softly.

“I’m fine,” Ben replied, his voice a bit rougher than it had been. 

He was focusing intently on her mouth, and Rey tried not move as he dabbed her lip, the fingers of his other hand resting on the side of her face and neck. She wondered if he could feel how fast her pulse was racing.

“All done,” Ben whispered after some time, and he stepped back. 

Rey felt a flicker of panic. She didn’t want him to go. She jumped off the stool, not sure what she was doing or why, just that she wasn’t ready to see him go. She’d forgotten about the scrapes on her thigh though, and her muscles screamed in protest at the sudden movement. She yelped in surprise and grabbed the stool to keep from falling over. Ben was beside her in an instant, holding her up by the elbows and sitting her back down.

“Your knee?” Ben asked concerned.

Rey blushed and shook her head. “My...my thigh,” she stammered as she pulled the side of her skirt up to show him.

Rey inhaled sharply when he placed his large hand just beneath the injury, his thumb rubbing her unmarred skin lightly. Rey felt a thrumming sensation low in her middle as goosebumps erupted along the skin of her leg, and she shivered. She was definitely NOT going to tell Father Skywalker about this. Ben let her go abruptly and dampened another wad of cotton, cleaning the broken skin gently, not saying a word. Rey noticed his breathing was shallow, and his shoulders were shaking slightly from she had no idea what. The only sounds in the room was their combined breathing and the hiss and clank of the church’s old machinery. 

“All done?” Ben said again, but this time as a question when he finished wrapping the bandage. Rey’s eyes widened when she felt his fingers skim down the length of her thigh as he stood.

She nodded, finding herself bereft of speech.

“Good,” Ben said huskily. He turned and headed for the window they’d jumped from earlier. 

Rey watched him from her spot on the stool, her lips slightly parted. What just happened? And why wasn’t she scared?

As he rested his hands on the ledge in preparation to climb out, he paused and looked over his shoulder at her. Rey watched him, her hazel eyes bright and wondering.

“To hell with it,” he muttered as he turned and walked back to her. Rey held still and watched him, wide-eyed. Her eyes drifted closed as he pulled the pins from her hair and smoothed it.

“I’ve already been assured I’m going to Hell, so this’ll just be one more sin to add to the list,” Ben growled, somewhat roughly, before he bent down and captured her lips gently with his.

Rey was glad her cut had stopped bleeding as his lips caressed hers. His soft mouth was gentle, but firm, and she sighed. She took his hands in hers and leaned forward, just a little, holding onto him for balance. 

Then, just as quickly as it began, Ben pulled away. He lifted her hands to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to each one.

“Hopefully you’ll have more pleasant dreams tonight, Rey,” he whispered huskily before turning and disappearing into the night.


	2. As Above, So Below

“Up! Up! Everybody up!” Sister Shannon barked, her voice cutting through the calm stillness of the room. She closed the door with a loud snap. Rey heard Rose and Paige shuffle out of bed and begin getting ready for the day. She squeezed her eyes tight, not wanting to get up. She pulled her blanket closer to her chin. She’d been having such a good dream…

“Rey!” Paige called. “You have to get up!”

Rose scampered over and shook Rey’s shoulder. “Up! Up, Sleepy Head!”

Rey groaned and rolled over, swinging her feet gingerly over the bed and onto the floor. Rey winced and inhaled sharply when she rubbed her face, forgetting her bruise. The scrapes on her legs still stung, but not as bad. She was grateful her long nightgown hid the bandages.

Rose and Paige gasped, dashing over to her.

“What happened to your face?!” they cried in unison.

After Rey recounted the story, the sisters looked at each other, then back at Rey.

Rose leaned forward and asked in a whisper, “What was it like? Kissing?”

Rey blushed and knotted her fingers in her lap. She tried to shrug casually like it was no big deal, but failed.

Rose whistled lowly as Paige murmured, “Wow.”

Sister Shannon entered the room then, tutting and tsking at the girls’ tardiness, making them all jump guiltily.

“We were just making sure Rey was okay!” Rose said.

“What’s the matter with Rey?” Sister Shannon asked.

“I...umm...fell and hit my head,” Rey offered lamely. She was a bit of a klutz by nature, so it wasn’t so far out of the realm of possibility for her to fall and bruise her face.

Sister Shannon breezed over quickly, her habit billowing behind her like a large black sail, and gently took Rey’s chin in her hand, turning her head ever so slightly to see the bruise better. The older woman’s gentleness surprised Rey, as she always seemed so stern and cross. Sister Shannon smiled kindly and in a sort of knowing way. Dread chased down Rey’s spine. _How did she know?! Would she be punished?!_

Instead, Sister Shannon sighed softly and said, “You know what? I think Father Skywalker is going to need some help with the children today. It’s a beautiful day, and he wants to take them to the park for some exercise. I’m getting too old to keep up.”

Rey blinked in surprise while Rose and Paige looked at each other in shock.

“Best get ready quickly, my dears,” Sister Shannon said as she headed back out of the room.

“What just happened?” Rose asked as they all quickly pulled on their clothes and completed their morning ablutions.

“I have no idea,” Rey replied dumbfoundedly as she pinned a new coif to her hair. She certainly wasn’t going to question it as she tugged on her lightest cardigan and dashed out the door towards the classrooms, Rose and Paige following closely behind.

They skidded to a stop outside the largest room where the excited voices of the children could be heard. Father skywalker’s gruff but kind voice could be heard above the din, trying to calm and herd the children. The three girls stepped into the room, quickly shepherding the children into more manageable groups. The small bodies continued to bounce and titter excitedly, but the three of them managed to get the kids to quiet down enough so they could hear Father Skywalker give instructions.

“We’ll be spending some time at the park up the street. Now, I want you all to stick together on the way there and keep an eye on each other. Come see me or one of the novices if you need help or something is wrong,” he cried. Father Skywalker then clapped his hands together, his bright blue eyes sparkling. “Let’s go!”

The kids all let out a cheerful whoop and raced out the door, Rey, Rose, and Paige keeping up easily and Father Skywalker bringing up the rear.

***

Rey turned her face up to the sun and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth on her skin. She inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of the city air and the park grass. The happy shouts of children filled her ears and she smiled. She felt a tug on her skirt and looked down into the bright upturned face of a little blonde girl named Adelaide. Adelaide was holding her arms up and bouncing on her toes.

“Swing me, Sister Rey! Please!” the little girl commanded in a sweet voice.

Rey laughed and bent down, wrapping her arms around the tiny body and hoisting her up. She squeezed her eyes shut and spun around and around rapidly, making Adelaide squeal in delight. When the girl became too heavy, Rey slowed to a stop, setting Adelaide carefully back on her feet. The girl ran off, her gait slightly loopy, towards the swings. Rey rested her arms over her midriff and leaned against a nearby tree, trying to catch her breath.

“That was probably the most adorable thing I’ve seen in my thirty years on this earth,” a deep velvety voice murmured behind her. 

Rey straightened a little as a shiver chased up her spine, but she did not turn around. Father Skywalker was ever watchful.

“Ben?” she asked softly.

“Mmhmm.”

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. His scent washed over her, warm and masculine, making her knees shake. She gasped when she felt a soft touch at the small of her back. She made to turn around, but Ben’s voice stopped her.

“Don’t. I’m behind the tree next to you. He can’t see us if we stay like this. The priest I mean.”

Rey licked her lips and casually dropped her arms. What was she supposed to do with her arms?! She folded one up to hold onto her shoulder as if it were sore, and her other she hid in her skirt so she could hold her fingers out. She blushed fiercely when she felt Ben’s fingers brush hers, his touch gentle and caressing. 

“I dreamt about you last night,” she blurted out in a burst of honesty.

“Did you now?” he replied darkly. 

“Yes,” she whispered. “I...I wanted you to kiss me again.”

He squeezed her fingers, and she gasped. Ben swore under his breath and let her fingers go with a lingering touch. “The gym. After the fight. Come see me tonight, Rey. Please,” he urged in a rough voice.

Her breaths were short, gasping. Rey nodded. She chanced a glance behind the tree, but he was already gone.

***

“Ben!” Father Skywalker called, pleasantly surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Ben shrugged nonchalantly as he ambled towards his uncle, or at least he hoped it was nonchalantly, and said, “I was walking by the park, and I thought I’d stop and watch the controlled chaos.” It was more or less true, not that Ben would feel bad lying to a priest. He’d been walking to his favorite diner to get some breakfast and had seen Rey playing with a gaggle of children in the park.

Luke patted the space on the bench beside him, laughing softly at his nephew’s attempts to be casual. He looked out at the children, and he could see what Ben meant. “Ahh yes, I see it. That group there is a sort of planet with its many moons,” Luke said as he gestured to a small group of kids. One child sat in the middle, several others sitting around her, listening intently to a story she was telling.

“Those two there are a sort of binary star system, feeding off each other.” Luke nodded to pair of children who were holding hands and spinning around faster and faster.

Ben pointed at a kid who was alone, but happily running and screaming around and around the play fort, his little arms flailing madly. “That one’s about to go supernova.”

Luke laughed. “The universe made flesh. Controlled chaos. And watching over it all, the agents of God.” Paige, Rose, and Rey were attentively minding the children, while Luke watched over them all. Luke liked the symmetry.

Ben sat on the bench beside his uncle, leaning forward with his hands between his knees, fingers clasped lightly together. Luke sat back, a cryptic smile on his face. Ben wondered if he was hot in his black priest’s garb. The old man showed no sign of it if he was. He watched as Rey ran and laughed with some of the smaller children, chasing them across the play yard with her arms outstretched. Her smile was so bright, her laugh like music. She really was what her name implied - a ray of light. He tensed. He couldn’t believe what he’d asked her. She had to know, at least on some level, what he’d meant when he’d asked her to come see him. Right? God, he was a monster for wanting to debauch something so pure, so beautiful, with his baser desires. Hadn’t that always been his way though? Wanting what he shouldn’t. Taking selfishly. Why fight what he was. 

Luke observed his nephew out of the corner of his eye. He hadn’t missed the bruise on Rey’s cheek or the cut on her lip, nor the fact that his nephew’s knuckles were bruised and scabbed. A large bag of flour had also mysteriously appeared in the night. Ben looked like he was about to snap, and, as best as she tried to hide it, Rey kept looking at Ben, the color bright on her cheeks. Luke sat silently for a long while, contemplating deeply, while his nephew sat beside him, stewing as was his habit. Ben had always thought the worst of himself. Luke had tried to help him, but had only ended up giving Ben a complex guilt problem. He wanted to make amends for that, and maybe Ben would let him some day. He hoped so.

“You know, Ben, these kids, they’re all healing, in one way or another. Orphaned, abandoned, they find peace and friendship in one another, lonely souls reaching out to one another. Some eventually find solace with us in the church. We’re able to nurture their souls, offer them the belonging they seek. But, for some, it’s not enough. They need to find their solace in others, their belonging with others. They need love. More than we can give,” Luke said gently.

Ben stared at his uncle, his mouth slightly agape. Luke stood and stretched, holding his hands behind his back as he stared out at his flock. He smiled and looked pointedly in Rey’s direction, “The church, this way of life isn’t for everyone, Ben, but it’s all they’ve known. It’s safe for them. Sometimes they need help to see that this isn’t the only way to live their lives.” 

Luke began to walk away, but he paused briefly to look over his shoulder at the young man. “I know you’ve turned your back on God, but He hasn’t turned his back on you. You’re always welcome in my house, Ben. Always.” Raising his voice Luke called out, “Come on children! Time to head back for lessons!”

As the group was leaving the park, Ben remained on the bench and watched them go. Rey looked back at him over her shoulder, and Ben gave her small smile, his fingers lifting in a secret wave goodbye.


	3. The Assumption of the Virgin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, i'm not about subtlety here, lol. enjoy the foreplay

“Rey, are you sure this is a good idea?” Rose whispered from the edge of Rey’s bed. The three were all still awake, Rose and Paige nervously watching as Rey changed from her nightgown back into her regular clothes. She’d opted to forego her blouse and just wore a camisole under a black cardigan with her skirt. She slipped a black pair of flats on her feet and brushed her hair out, tying it back loosely with a white ribbon. It was all she could find.

“No, Rose. I’m not sure this is a good idea, but I’m going,” Rey insisted boldly, more boldly than she felt.

Rose looked at her sister, who was keeping an ear out for Sister Shannon and Father Skywalker. Paige simply shrugged as if to say, _It’s Rey’s decision._

“Coast is clear,” Paige murmured.

Rey ran swiftly and silently down the hall, her feet hardly touching the floor. Before she knew it, she was standing on the sidewalk opposite the First Order Gym and staring at the large group waiting to go inside for the fight. The brightly lit marquee proudly proclaimed Kylo Ren of First Order vs. Temmin “Snap” Wexley of Resistance in large red letters. Rey chewed her lip nervously. How was she going to get in? People in the crowd appeared to be buying tickets, and she had no money. She hadn’t thought to grab any. She perked up when she saw a dim light flood the alley next to the gym. Maybe there was a service entrance she could sneak in through. She dashed across the street, skirting the large crowd, and crept down the alley. Sure enough, there was a large metal door in the side of the building. Rey tugged the handle, disappointed but not surprised to find it locked. There were a few narrow windows above and to the side of the door, so Rey stacked a few crates and climbed up, but the windows had no give.

Just as she was beginning to worry, the service door swung open, very nearly knocking her off balance. A young man with dark skin and warm eyes threw some trash into the nearby bin and jumped when he saw her standing next to the door on some crates.

“Yipes! What the hell are you doing?!” he exclaimed.

“I...umm...was trying to see inside,” Rey mumbled, hopping down and dusting her hands. The man was maybe a few years older than her. He was dressed in a pair of worn pants and a linen colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. An apron was tied around his waist, splattered and stained from cooking.

The man put a fist on his hip. “Uh-huh. Right. All you can see through there is the kitchen,” he said sarcastically.

“Well, I know that _now_ ,” Rey said defensively.

“Sure. What’s your name?” the young man asked.

“Rey,” she replied. “What’s yours?”

“Finn. What’re you doing here, Rey? No offense, but you don’t exactly look like someone who watches boxing matches.”

Rey fidgeted and twirled her thumbs. “I came to see...that is, Ben asked me to come. He said he was fighting tonight, but I didn’t see his name on the sign…”

Finn looked surprised. “That’s because he’s known professionally as Kylo Ren. A lot of people don’t know his name is actually Ben. It’s complicated.”

“Oh,” Rey said softly.

Finn looked behind him, then left and right. “Listen,” he dropped his voice to a whisper, “I can sneak you in, but you can’t tell anyone it was me. I really need this job, okay?”

Rey nodded enthusiastically.

“Okay. And, you seem like a nice girl, so try to keep hidden. Stay by the kitchen, if you can. That way I can make sure no one tries to rough you up. These people can be...rowdy.”

Rey nodded again, “Okay, Finn.”

Finn ushered her inside, helping her keep to the shadows along the walls. He guided her quickly through the kitchen where a few line cooks had heads bent, intent on their prep work. A dull roar filled the air as the excited and raucous shouts of the crowd filtered through the building. Finn motioned her through the swinging doors, and Rey stepped cautiously into the din.

The sight was unlike anything Rey had ever seen. Rey pressed her back to the wall beside the kitchen doors and held still, trying to absorb it all. Hundreds of people crushed together, all shouting and cheering. A few more well dressed men and women sat at tables that were on two of the edges of the large square arena. The smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol was present, but overshadowed by the smell of sweat and gym mats. In the center rising above it all was the ring with its grey mat and red ropes. A tall woman with platinum blonde hair dressed in black cigarette pants and a silver crop top stood in the middle of the ring and was shouting something into a microphone. Rey couldn’t make heads or tails of what she was saying, but apparently the crowd could because they went wild everytime she stopped talking. 

“Alright! Let’s...SHUT UP YOU DAMN DIRTY HEATHENS!..Let’s get this thing started!” the woman shouted, her voice projecting all around the room. More shouts, laughter, and cheers rang out.

“In this corner representing Resistance, put your hands together for Temmin “Snap” Wexley!” the woman cried animatedly, gesturing to one corner of the ring. A large jovial looking man stepped into the ring, raising his arms and pumping up the crowd. He wore a shiny grey short robe with “Resistance” blazoned across the back with an embroidered insignia and a pair of matching shorts, his heavy looking gloves a rusty red. A dark haired swarthy man followed him into the ring, carefully setting out a bucket and stool in his corner, a towel draped over his shoulders. About half the people present cheered wildly, and the other half booed vehemently. The people seated at the tables remained carefully neutral and aloof.

“And in this corner, from First Order,” the woman began dramatically, “We have the one, the only, the undefeated…” cheers and chanting began to swell in the audience, “Give it up for Kylo-ooo Re-eeeen!”

Rey watched with bated breath as the crowd went absolutely wild when a man in a black hooded robe and shorts stepped into the ring, a slight ginger man behind him. He threw his robe back to the ginger, and Rey gasped. If she thought he looked massive that night in the alley crouched in front of her, that was nothing compared to how he looked as he stalked into the middle of the ring to face Wexley, who was about half a head shorter. He was all broad shoulders and hard muscle, scars peppering his pale skin. The scar that ran down the side of his face went all the way to his chest and ended somewhere at his side. His mouth was set in a grim line as he stared Wexley down. Rey swallowed thickly. He was a giant.

The woman in the middle was saying something, but Rey couldn’t hear over the roar of the crowd and the blood rushing in her ears. Snap and Kylo, for he seemed a completely different person to Rey, bumped their gloves together and went to their corners. The bell then rang out, signalling the start of the round.

***

Rey watched in fascination, inching ever closer, as Snap and Kylo duked it out, each landing a fair number of punches. For as often as they struck each other, they spent an almost equal amount of time dancing around one another, searching and prodding for weaknesses and entry points. At the end of each round, both men went back to their corners, their partners wiping their faces, giving them water for them to spit, pointing and gesturing to the opponent. Now at Round Ten, Snap was starting to show signs of weariness, Rey could see, but Kylo’s face revealed nothing. He had the same stoic expression he’d had at the start of the match. His skin glistened with sweat and blood, but he showed no other signs that he’d been affected at all by Snap’s strikes. 

The blonde woman called Round Ten, and both men leapt from their corners, Snap’s attacks getting more desperate, unplanned, and risky. Kylo deftly dodged punch after punch, seeming to realize his opponent was on the ropes. After a few minutes of Snap striking and Kylo dodging, Kylo came around and landed a punch right in Snap’s gut. The larger man bent forward, hands to his stomach, which allowed Kylo to strike him just below his neck. The punch didn’t seem too hard, but Snap fell to the mat anyway. The blonde woman bent and began to count, but Snap banged his glove twice, signalling his defeat. Some in the crowd moaned with the loss, others roared in victory. The blonde held Kylo’s arm up, proclaiming him the victor. Rey stepped into the edge of the pool of light around the ring, looking up with wide eyes at the champion. Her champion. Realizing how close she’d gotten and how rowdy the crowd was getting, Rey backed away quickly and headed towards the locker rooms. She tucked herself in a small closet and waited.

Rey had no idea how long she had been in that closet, but it was long enough that she’d dozed off. A pair of voices startled her awake.

“Good fight out there, Man,” an unfamiliar but kind voice was saying as a locker slammed closed.

“Yeah, you too,” a _very_ familiar voice replied.

“You thought of trying for the big time? You’d definitely have a shot.”

“Thank, Snap, but no. I like where I am.”

Rey could almost hear Snap’s shrug. “I can respect that. Take care, Man.”

“You too.”

Rey heard Snap’s footsteps echo down the locker room hall, then the squeaking of an old door opening and closing. She listened for a moment for other voices, other sounds that weren’t Ben, but she only heard him sigh heavily. She opened her door silently, slipping out from her hiding place like a ghost. She took a few cautious steps forward, her hands clasped together nervously. Ben’s shoulders were slumped, his hair hung limply around his head. His gloves hung on the locker door in front of him. A towel was around his shoulders, but he made no move to mop up the sweat and blood that coated him.

“Ben?” Rey murmured.

His head shot up, his dark eyes boring into her hazel ones. He said nothing, but his breathing seemed to get faster.

Rey looked to her left and saw stacks of clean towels. She plucked a couple from the shelf and approached him timidly. She set the towels on the bench and sat beside him, reaching for one of his hands. They were still wrapped in tape, and her nimble fingers made quick work of it. All the while he watched, his eyes never leaving her. Rey set the wad of tape aside and grabbed a towel. She wiped his hair away from his face gently, giving him a soft smile. She wiped the sweat and blood from his face, from his broad chest, finding herself unable to meet his intense gaze, so she looked everywhere but in his eyes. She realized, with some mortification, that she was trembling. She jumped when she felt his large hand grip her knee. She pulled the towel away from him, holding it close to her chest. She inhaled sharply and held her breath when he leaned closer, his lips only millimeters from her ear.

“Does this scare you, Rey?” he asked, his voice so rough and deep it made her insides quiver with some unfamiliar sensation.

“No,” she lied. She gasped when she felt his hand slip up her skirt to squeeze her thigh as his lips pressed a featherlight kiss to the fragile skin at her jaw just beneath her ear. His touch was firmer than it had been before, and she whimpered with want.

“Liar,” he breathed. He gripped her thigh harder and sucked at the pulse point in her neck, his tongue lapping over the skin beneath his lips.

Rey moaned in response, dropping the towel to her lap and placing her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart hammering behind his ribs, the beat strong and vital beneath her fingers. She felt a wonderful throbbing at the apex of her thighs, and she turned closer to Ben. Ben growled low in his throat and removed his hand from her thigh so he could grab her waist instead. He hauled her into his lap so she was straddling him. Rey looked down into his dilated eyes, cupping his face gingerly in her hands. She brought her mouth down to his and kissed him softly, caressing his lips with hers. Ben responded in kind, running his hands up her back beneath her cardigan and camisole. Rey felt her back arch involuntarily as she felt his callused hands run up the smooth bare skin. She gasped, and Ben used the opportunity to slip his tongue into her open mouth, taking it with a passion and possessiveness that left her breathless. She rolled her hips tentatively against him, seeking...something...to ease the throbbing between her legs. She felt a hardness press against her core and she let out a faint cry at the exquisite sensation.

Ben pulled away sharply. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he buried his face into her neck.

Rey held onto him tightly, her chest heaving as she tried to bring herself back under control. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her nerves were screaming. Ben’s arms tightened around her, and she realized she was shaking. She shook harder when she felt him begin to press open mouthed kisses to the narrow column of her throat.

He pushed her off him abruptly, and Rey stumbled back against the lockers, her sweaty palms flat against the cold metal. She watched with wild eyes as Ben stood and approached, towering over her. She licked her bottom lip, and his eyes zeroed in on the tiny movement. The smell of healthy aroused male, musky and strong, filled her nose, and she felt her knees go weak.

“You need to leave,” he growled.

“Why?” she asked in a whisper.

“Because if you don’t, I’m going to take you to my home, and I’m not going to let you go until I’ve fucked you every which way. You’ll be so sore, Rey. So sore from my cock. But you’ll take it, you’ll take it like the good girl you are. And I’ll make my sweet girl feel so good, so good for taking my cock.”

It was without a doubt the filthiest thing Rey had heard in her entire life. And she wanted it. She wanted all of it so, so bad. If this meant she was going to Hell, then let her be damned. She bit her lip and looked down, her breathing uneven.

“What’s your answer, Rey?”

Rey looked up into Ben’s eyes, lit perhaps with the fires of Hell itself, and with a boldness she didn’t know she possessed she whispered silkily, “I want to be your good girl, Ben.”


	4. Forgive Me Father for I Have Sinned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who had a (non)productive work day

Rey sat on the bench, clutching a clean towel close to her chest. She was waiting for him. He’d told her to wait while he showered. She looked so far away, lost in her thoughts. And so innocent, especially with the ribbon in her hair. He’d be lying if he said the sight of her in her modest skirt, sweater, and the damn ribbon didn’t turn him on. He wasn’t sure why precisely. She looked so vulnerable, so fragile, and he was so...him. He wanted to hold her close, keep her safe, protect her from all the ugliness he encountered on a daily basis. It made him feel...powerful. More so than winning any championship bout ever had. She didn’t hear him come up behind her, and she yelped when he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a gentle kiss to her neck. Her skin was the softest he’d ever felt, and she tasted so sweet. But her fluttering pulse told him she was terrified, despite her bold words earlier.

“My poor sweet girl,” Ben purred against her skin, running his hands up and down her arms.

Rey sighed and leaned back against him, her death grip on the towel loosening somewhat.

“I’m going to take such good care of you,” he whispered darkly as he pulled away to get dressed. 

Rey looked at him, her eyes wide, then turned quickly away, blushing fiercely when he dropped the towel around his waist. He smirked, finding her modesty and shyness incredibly arousing. It was a pleasant surprise. He had never wanted the role of teacher to an innocent, but here he was, the sight of her blushing face as she pointedly looked everywhere but at his naked body causing his dick to harden. He was fastening his jeans, with some difficulty, when her gentle voice floated over to him.

“Is...is there something I should do for you?” she asked haltingly, still not looking at him, her hands knotted in her skirt.

His fingers stilled, and he felt his insides practically melt. God help him if she ever found out the power she had over him. He turned her around carefully to face him, cupping her cheek gently in his hand. He kissed her lips softly, briefly.

“No,” he whispered kindly. “But you can tell me if what I do makes you feel good, and I’ll help show you the same for me.”

She held her hand to his and nodded. “Okay,” she murmured.

“And if it gets to be too much, I’ll stop. If you want to leave, I’ll take you back. Just tell me,” he urged.

“But earlier you said…”

He laughed lowly. “That was just talk, Rey. To get you excited.” Ben paused. “Did it make you excited?”

“Yes,” she answered sheepishly, her voice so quiet he almost didn’t hear her.

He grinned wickedly and kissed her again, longer this time. He coaxed her mouth open, his tongue lightly caressing her soft lips. He swirled his tongue inside her, tasting her, drinking up her soft moans. He pulled away reluctantly to finish dressing. This time, she watched him unabashedly. When he finished, he helped her up off the bench, watching her with a slight smile as she smoothed her rumpled skirt. He looped his arm around her waist and held her close as they made their way out of the locker room and through the gym towards the exit. Thankfully at this hour, everyone was already gone.

***

What was she doing? _No, seriously what was she doing?!_ She was risking everything for this, for him. She could be thrown out of the only home she’d ever known. She was pretty sure she couldn’t be excommunicated for this, but losing her only home might be worse. And for what? A few hours of earthly pleasure? She looked over at Ben, who was in the opposite seat watching the scenery fly by as they sped down the street in a cab.

He looked so strong, so solid next to her. So _real_. He had been there when she needed help. He had kept her safe. Would he take care of her if she was thrown out? She had to believe that. She liked to think he would. She thought of a song Father Skywalker sometimes listened to when he thought no one was around. _“Well I never had a place/That I could call my very own/That’s alright my love/’Cause you’re my home.”_ She wriggled closer to Ben’s side. He looked down at her, a hint of surprise on his face as she sighed and nuzzled into his chest. He smiled kindly and wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. His fingers began to lightly trace arabesques up and down her arm. Rey shivered.

 _And yes, she wanted the pleasure he promised her,_ she admitted to herself as her eyes drifted closed.

“Here we are, Pal. Pay up,” the cabbie commanded in a gruff voice.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ben muttered.

Rey couldn’t seem to get her eyes to open all the way. She was so warm next to Ben. Her eyelids fluttered closed again as Ben lifted her into his arms and out of the cab. Her head lolled on his shoulder as he carried her up some steps. The night was quiet, the air slightly colder here than she was used to. She heard a lock click and a door open and close. Steps muffled by thick carpet. More stairs. The smell of cotton and soap. Downy softness. She felt her cardigan and skirt tugged gently from her body, the the crisp coolness of sheets pulled over her bare legs and arms. She gripped the linens close to her chin. She felt the mattress depress beside her, a warm broad torso pressing against her back, strong arms holding her close. Ben’s soft mouth pressing a kiss to her temple.

Just as she lost herself to sleep, she heard Ben whisper, “Rest well, Rey. We have all the time in the world.”

***

A soft rumble of thunder woke her up. It was still dark, but a faint glow from the streetlights filtered in through a large bay window. Rain pounded the glass rhythmically, rivulets running down and casting eerie shapes on the carpet. Rey touch the sheet beneath her experimentally. It was so much softer than the one she was used to. A flash of lightning and a massive crack of thunder made her sit straight up with a cry. 

She held her hands to ears and started counting, “One one thousand, two one thousand...”

_Crack!_

She whimpered. She hated storms. They made her remember…

“Rey?”

She gave a jolt when she felt Ben’s arms snake around her, pulling her back down to the bed. He folded her into his embrace, tucking her close. She tucked her legs up, resting her knees on his thighs, and pressed her hands flat against his chest.

Ben made calm shushing noises as he stroked her hair and played with the ribbon. Rey’s shaking subsided. She pressed a tentative kiss to his sternum, feeling him hum in response. Encouraged, she tilted her head up, stretching a bit to press another to his throat. She bit back a moan when she felt the hand in her hair drift down to grip her thigh. A hum of pleasure hissed through her teeth as Ben’s hand rubbed up to massage the curve of her bottom. She unfolded herself and stretched, limbs and nerves quickly waking up as molten heat rushed through her veins. Ben’s large hand coasted up and down her side as she stretched, but he made no other move. He simply watched her.

Rey stopped his hand with hers and brought it to her lips. She pressed a soft, heated kiss to each of his knuckles, enjoying the way his breathing was getting more ragged. She turned his hand over to expose the pulse point in his wrist, kissing and carefully licking the delicate skin over his veins.

“Mmm, good girl,” he purred.

A shiver chased up her spine at the praise. Ben pulled his hand gingerly from her, dipping his fingers beneath her chin and tilting her head up.

“My good girl,” he crooned again before he kissed her. He started softly, as if he was afraid of scaring her, his pressure light, caressing. Rey threaded her fingers through his hair, the strands silky and soft. He groaned against her mouth, his tongue licking her bottom lip, asking, searching for entrance. She parted her lips slightly, letting him lick slowly inside her. She returned his ardor timidly, unsure. He hummed his pleasure, and Rey kissed him back a little harder, pulling him closer. The throbbing was starting again between her legs, and she whimpered, squirming in Ben’s arms. Something stiff was pressing into her stomach, and she tried to arch away from it. Ben broke the kiss and laughed breathlessly, his hands firm at the small of her back, keeping her close to him.

“It’s just my cock, Rey. Touch me. Feel how much I want you,” Ben commanded softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Rey swallowed thickly and let her hand skim down his chest to the band of his boxers. Her fingers trembled as she stroked the hard length of him over the thin cotton. He began to pant as she caressed him up and down ever so slowly with her fingertips.

“That’s it. Just like that. You touch me so good sweetheart,” he rasped. “Ahh...fuck!” he cried when she tried to wrap her hand around his erection. She managed it a bit awkwardly since the fabric was in the way. He groaned when she squeezed him slightly and began a simple pumping motion. Rey frowned slightly in frustration and stopped, drawing a whine from Ben. She grabbed the waistband and carefully pulled the elastic down past his hips. Realizing what she was trying to do, Ben shimmied his boxers off the rest of the way. Rey’s hand fluttered back to him, and Ben moaned as she wrapped her hand around his naked hard flesh. Rey watched Ben in fascination, his cock hot and silky in her hand as she worked him carefully. Something warm and sticky was leaking from his tip, and she brushed her fingers through it, making him jerk and curse. She released him and brought her fingers to her lips, licking the fluid from them. It was salty, and not altogether unpleasant.

Ben’s eyes were wide as he watched her taste him. He batted her hand away and took her mouth insistently, his tongue delving in before she had a chance to catch her breath, needing to taste himself on her tongue.

“Good. So good,” he babbled against her lips. Her heart gave a little leap everytime he praised her, the nerves in her cunt gave a corresponding throb. Rey moaned as Ben’s plush mouth moved to her neck, pressing wet open mouthed kisses along the column of her throat. His hands skimmed beneath her camisole up her back, one coming to rest along the curve of her spine and the other moving around to cup her breast. She gasped and started panting when Ben began to stroke and knead, his fingers quickly finding the sensitive skin of her nipple. He pinched and caressed the tender flesh, causing it to pebble and bud. His hands left her and Rey whined, trying to bring them back to her.

“Hush,” Ben commanded throatily as he helped her sit up beneath him. He fingered the hem of her camisole, drawing it quickly up and over her head. Rey watched as he flicked it off to the side of the bed, the thin fabric floating down to the floor. She looked up into Ben’s eyes as he knelt over her. His chest was heaving, as was hers. Ben reached a hand out behind her head and undid her hair ribbon, the delicate white fabric fluttering in his fingers as he set it aside. Her hair fell around her face, the chestnut waves gentle and soft.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, the awe evident in his voice.

Rey blushed and looked away as she tried to cross her arms over her bare chest. Ben’s hands shot out and grabbed her wrists. He made a tsking sound.

“Bad girls try to hide what I want to see. Bad girls don’t get my cock. Are you a bad girl, Rey?”

Rey’s eyes went wide and she shook her head vigorously. “No,” she yelped. “I’m good. I want to be your good girl, Ben! Please!” She squirmed. Why was it wet between her legs?

“Good,” Ben purred as he pushed her back to the mattress, pinning her arms above her head. He lowered his head to her nipple, sucking the hard bud into his mouth as Rey writhed beneath him. 

“Ben!” she moaned as he gently raked his teeth over the skin, his grip around her wrists tightening. Rey let out a string of broken sobs as he turned his attention to her other breast, giving the over sensitive flesh equal attention. Rey’s hips were rolling wildly, searching for the friction her body desperately craved. However, Ben was able to use his size to his advantage, kneeling over her out of reach and keeping her pinned with his hands. He released her breast with a lewd ‘pop,’ revelling in her whimpers and mewls. He released her wrists and her hands flew to his head, fisting into his hair, making him laugh darkly.

“Take off your underwear, Rey. I want to touch you now,” Ben growled.

Rey shakily obeyed, sliding the plain white garment down her hips and off, tossing them somewhere near her camisole.

Rey moaned softly as one of his hands wandered slowly, achingly so, up her thigh. They were both beyond rationality now, she could feel it. It was all animal at this point, her desire to please him, his need to command her. He was going to make her feel so good, just like he’d promised. She’d been so good for him, and he was going to reward his good girl. Her very blood sang with the thought.

“Have I been good, Ben? Have I been your good girl?” she asked pleadingly, twining her arms around his neck.

“So good,” he praised softly. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “Gonna make you feel so good. Get my good girl ready for my cock.”

Rey moaned at his words and arched her hips slightly. Ben rewarded her with a gentle brush of his fingers against the lips of her sex. Rey cried out, unable to contain it.

“Holy...you’re so wet for me sweet girl,” Ben said, astonished.

“Is...is that okay?” she asked worriedly. 

Ben responded by sliding his middle finger through her wet folds, making her whine loudly. “Oh yes, sweetheart.”

Rey stopped worrying after that, any remaining thoughts driven completely out of her mind by Ben’s skilled fingers. He found one spot in particular that had her bucking and grinding wanonly against his hand. His thumb lavished attention there while another swirled and stroked her soaked slit. Rey began to sob again, the sensations overwhelming, her body crying out for something her mind had no concept of. She felt something tightening low in her belly, her inner walls flexing desperately at nothing. She tossed her head wildly back and forth across the pillow, finally managing to choke out, “Ben, please. Stop.”

His fingers stilled immediately. “What do you need, sweetheart?” he breathed.

Rey’s chest was heaving rapidly, and she was ashamed to hear herself whimper so pathetically. “I don’t know.”

Ben grinned, and he pressed a gentle kiss to her parted lips. “I do.”

His fingers started their tortuous ministrations again, but just as Rey was about to protest, he pressed his middle finger slightly into and out of her again, making her moan low and long with pleasure. 

“Please. Need more,” she begged.

“Shh. I know,” Ben said as he slid the digit all the way inside her, making her back arch off the mattress. He carefully thrust in and out a few times before adding a second finger. Rey felt the tension building again, getting tighter and tighter, like a spring wound too tight.

“Ben,” she sighed, desperately grinding her hips against his hand as he stretched her. He crooked his fingers on the next thrust, hitting some place inside her that had her screaming and seeing stars. He focused his attention on that spot, making her sob, until she felt herself tumbling over and over, like she was cresting a wave. It felt like she was floating, blissed out as she was.

Ben kissed her, his lips gentle and soft, as he rode out her orgasm with her, savoring every twitch and throb. Rey kissed him back, her brain sluggishly trying to catch up with what her mouth was doing. Ben helped her wrap her legs around his waist, his cock hard and insistent against her core.

Rey broke the kiss, murmuring against the heated skin of his lips, “Good girl wants your cock.”

“I won’t deny my good girl,” Ben rasped. He rolled away from her for a moment, tearing open a small square of foil. He was back on top of her before she blink, and he began to push into her carefully, wincing when he heard her hiss at the pain of him stretching her. “I’m sorry, Rey.”

Rey shook her head, kissing his collarbone reverently. “No. Don’t be sorry. Please,” she urged as she rolled her hips upward to meet his so he was sheathed fully inside her. She threw her head back and gasped. The feeling of him filling her, it was better than she’d ever imagined.

“Fuck!” he cried as he began to thrust slowly, unable to help himself. “Jesus, Rey. You feel so good.”

“Tell me,” she commanded, her breaths coming in pants and moans as he thrust in and out of her.

“You’re so tight. Can you feel it? How well your pussy is taking my cock? You take my cock so well. My good girl,” he was babbling his praise, his words almost incoherent. “Gonna make you come again on my cock.”

Rey moaned loudly. “Yes, Ben. Please let me come again. Please let me come on your cock!” she begged.

Ben growled, a primal sound from deep in his throat, as he reached between them the rub her sensitive nerves again. Rey felt the coil of tension build in her belly, and she arched harder against Ben, chasing the feeling. She held onto Ben tightly as the tension snapped a second time, relishing the feeling of her intimate walls fluttering hard around his thick cock. Ben swore and released with a low roar of pleasure, his head dropping from exhaustion. Rey felt every twitch, every throb as he came down inside her, and she loved it. She pulled him down to her and held him tightly, running her fingers slowly through his hair.


	5. Resurrection of the Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took out a sentence in the last chapter. It hinted at more plot, and I decided I wanted to keep this story simple and short. Maybe I'll release a director's cut someday, but not today.

It was still raining when Ben’s eyes drifted open, the pitter patter of the raindrops against his window soothing. It was light out now, but the sky was grey and heavily overcast. A perfect day to stay inside. Ben looked beside him in bed where Rey was sleeping on her stomach, slim arms thrust beneath her pillow. Her dark lashes created feather-like fans at the tops of her cheeks. He studied the vibrant pink of her kiss bruised mouth. The top sheet had slipped down around her waist, leaving her back exposed. Ben admired the curve of her spine, the velvet appearance of her skin. _Perfect indeed._

Unable to help himself, he reached out and ran his long fingers down her back. Her skin was so warm, so soft. Leaning forward, he began to press soft languid kisses up her back, following the gentle curve. Rey sighed deeply and smiled, her eyes still closed.

“Morning,” Ben murmured against her skin. He pushed himself up and knelt over Rey’s prone body, pressing his large hand to her lower back when she tried to flip over beneath him.

“M-morning,” Rey stammered as Ben pushed a hand between her and the mattress. She lifted her hips slightly and spread her thighs an inch or so. Ben’s fingers quickly found what they were searching for, and Rey almost dropped back to the mattress when he parted her already wet folds and began to stroke slowly. She moaned wantonly at his ministrations, enjoying the pleasure he coaxed from her body.

“Already wet for me? What a good girl you are,” he purred as he stroked and teased her flesh.

Rey could only whimper in response as she rolled her hips against his fingers, desperate for more. She wailed plaintively when he took his hand away.

“Don’t move,” Ben commanded, somewhat jokingly since he more or less had her pinned, as he leaned over and stretched to reach the condoms on his night stand. Rey held still, her fingers digging into the mattress. He was back in an instant, situating himself between her thighs. Rey gasped when he grabbed her hips and hauled her into his lap roughly, her thighs stretched and straddling his. He leaned them both forward, his arms wrapped tight around her, and he entered her with one powerful upward thrust.

“Oh God, Ben!” Rey screamed as he filled her. The slight burn of him stretching her, filling her, warmed her blood, and she hummed her pleasure. The feeling of him taking her from behind this way, protective and possessive, was everything she wanted. She gasped as he thrust into her, wrapping her arms over his and holding tight.

Ben began to thrust harder, faster. “Fuck, Rey. Talk to me. Tell me how this feels,” he growled.

Rey moaned and cried as her brain tried to scrabble for words. She had no gift for artifice, no flowery or even filthy words to tell him how it felt, how she felt wrapped in his arms. That the sensations he could coax from her body, she wanted to feel them forever.

“It’s...it’s everything,” she whispered hoarsely.

Ben groaned raggedly and took her hand in his, bringing it between her thighs to where they were joined together. Rey began to sob as he helped her rub her clit gently, throwing her head back against his shoulder.

“Come with me, Rey. Please,” he growled pleadingly against her neck.

It didn’t take much more for both of them. Ben and Rey tensed as their bodies and nerves cried out in unison, exquisite sensations washing over them both. Ben groaned, low and guttural, as Rey sighed deeply with audible pleasure. They held each other that way a long while, each resting their head on the other’s shoulder. As the haze of pleasure left her, Rey was overcome by feelings of uncertainty, of dread. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

“What happens now?” she asked quietly.

Ben’s arms tightened around her. He had never wanted anything more than he wanted her. The second he saw her, saved her from those monsters, it was like he’d been struck by a lightning bolt. No one had ever looked at him like she had, with eyes full of wonder, full of trust. He hoped he would never betray those feelings. It felt as if his very soul depended on it. It almost made him believe his uncle, that God hadn’t turned His back on him. He never wanted to let her go.

“What do you want to happen?” He knew it wasn’t fair to answer her question with another question, but he didn’t want to frighten her. 

She wasn’t sure she could tell him the truth. She never wanted to leave his embrace again, but she was scared. Scared of the judgement she was sure to face. Scared of Ben abandoning her like her parents had. Scared she couldn’t go back if he did. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough to take the chance. None of this was rational. She hardly knew anything about him, but wasn’t that what had been drilled into her head since she’d been taken in by the church? To have faith?

“I don’t know,” she answered in a small voice.

Ben thought about what Luke had said to him in the park, that some people needed help to see other ways to live. That they were afraid to leave what had always been safe for them, the only home they’d ever known. He’d looked at Rey while he’d said that. Ben pulled away from her gently so he could discard the condom, hissing as he slid out of her. 

In a panic, Rey turned around abruptly, her hands grasping and reaching for him. Startled by her reaction, Ben pulled her off the bed so she was standing and into his arms again, holding her close. She was shaking and unsteady on her feet.

“You’re so afraid,” Ben whispered. He ran his fingers slowly through her hair, working away knots and snarls. He almost had to laugh. Both of them so afraid to tell the other what they felt, what they wanted. In a way, it reassured him that she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her.

Rey hesitated before nodding slowly.

“Let’s take a shower. Then we can talk. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Ben held her hand in his as he led her to his bathroom. He flipped a switch on the wall, igniting two luminaries on either side of a large mirror. The space was large for a bathroom, the design simple and modern. A garden style tub sat beneath an angled skylight, the fogged glass grey from the overcast sky. A large glass paneled shower stood beside the tub, the fixtures a clean stainless steel. The floor was a soft grey marble. The room was quite warm in spite of its antiseptic appearance, which surprised Rey. Plush looking towels were piled on a nearby shelf, and Ben pulled a few down along with some washcloths. He handed the washcloths to Rey and went to turn on the shower, the steam from the hot water quickly filling the room. Ben held his hand out to Rey and pulled her to him under the hot spray. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the water cascading over her skin, barely noticing when Ben took the washcloths from her. 

“What are you doing?” she yelped in surprise when she felt Ben press one of the warm wet cloths between her thighs. It felt wonderful, and Rey blinked in surprise when Ben pulled the cloth away and saw a few faint streaks of pink coloring the fabric. 

“Taking care of you,” Ben murmured in reply as he continued to dab at the dried blood and fluid between her thighs. Rey blushed, but let him continue. 

Warmth licked up her spine when he cupped her sex in an effort to ease her soreness, and Rey bit back a moan.

Ben laughed behind her, and she wriggled away from him, reaching for the cake of soap on a nearby ledge. She began to rub the bar over him, mindful of his bruises from the fight. Ben tilted his head back and sighed, enjoying the feeling of her gentle hands roaming over his wet body. He tried not to enjoy it too much, his flesh currently not as willing as his spirit. Maybe it was just as well. They were supposed to have a serious conversation after this anyway.

They washed each other in heated silence until they were both simply standing beneath the spray of the shower head, staring at each other. Rey’s eyes were bright, curious, and Ben hardly dared to think it, hopeful, as she stared up at him.

“What?” Ben asked softly.

Rey smiled. “Nothing. Can we get out now? The water’s getting cold.”

Ben breathed a laugh. He reached behind her and shut off the water. “Of course.”

They toweled off quickly, and Ben pawed around in a drawer for an extra toothbrush. He let Rey brush her teeth and see to her other needs while he went back into the bedroom for a pair of sweatpants. Rey padded out of the bathroom as he tugged them on, towel clutched tight around her.

“Do you have something I could put on?” she asked sheepishly.

 

Ben grinned wolfishly. “What you have on is fine,” he teased, stalking towards her slowly.

Rey looked at him askance and scoffed, “Don’t be silly.”

“I’m never silly,” Ben replied in a serious tone, although they both knew he was joking. He reached for her hands and tried to pull them away from her body so he could see her. When she resisted, he tsked and leaned down to whisper scoldingly in her ear, “Remember what I said about bad girls?”

Rey gasped and her eyes widened. It wasn’t fair that he could make her feel so excited with just a few words. She pouted and dropped the towel, blushing as he stepped back to regard her naked body with hungry eyes. Her hands shook at her sides. She’d never felt so vulnerable, so exposed.

Ben’s fingers gently traced the curve of her side, coming to rest on the slight flare of her hip.

“So beautiful,” he whispered reverently.

Rey didn’t think it was possible, but she blushed harder. No one had ever told her that before, had never looked at her the way Ben was looking at her now. She didn’t even have words for what she saw in his eyes. It ran deeper than lust, Rey knew that much. The thought made her smile. It reassured her.

A violent crack of thunder broke the heat of the moment, and Rey fell to the floor with a whimper, curling into a small ball on the soft carpet.

Ben dropped to his knees in front of her, reaching out to place a large hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong, Rey?” he asked, concerned.

“Hate storms,” Rey replied flatly.

Ben left her, and Rey heard him open and close a dresser drawer. She lifted her head from her knees and saw him holding out a t-shirt to her. Rey took it gratefully and slipped it on. It was a faded black, softened by many washings, and hit well past mid-thigh. Rey was looking around for her underwear when Ben surprised her by scooping her up in his arms and carrying her from the room. She looped her arms around his neck, interlacing her fingers while he carried her through his townhouse, down a dark hallway with several closed doors, down a tall set of stairs, and into a comfortable looking living room. He set her carefully on a large L shaped couch littered with several pillows and blankets. A large square ottoman filled in the negative space in front of the couch. Rey could see a kitchen just beyond a high breakfast bar on her right, and a large flat screen was mounted on the wall in front of her.

“Do you like cinnamon rolls?” Ben asked.

Rey blinked in surprise. Honestly she didn’t know, but the idea appealed to her. “I’m not sure,” she replied.

The corner of Ben’s mouth quirked upwards in a sort of exasperated half smile, and he went to the kitchen. Rey propped herself up on the back of the couch, watching in amusement as he rummaged around looking for the right pan and poking at the buttons on the oven. He pulled a squat wide tube from the fridge and popped it open, carefully separating the doughy discs and arranging them carefully, setting aside the container of icing and wiping his hands. The oven beeped and he threw the pan in and set the timer. He walked slowly back to the couch, stopping to kiss her cheek chastely before joining her.

“I love cinnamon rolls,” he stated simply, as if there could be no contrary opinion, and Rey laughed. Ben pulled her into his lap, and she snuggled close to his chest, sighing happily when his fingers began to comb through her damp hair.

As the smells of sugar and cinnamon began to fill the room, Ben asked quietly, “Why do you hate storms?”

Rey tensed. She had never told anyone, not even Father Skywalker. “There was a little girl once. Her parents indulged in all kinds of vices, but they loved her. She trusted them. They promised to always keep her safe. But, one day, they were gone. Just gone. She had no food, no money, no one to keep her safe. She wandered through the city in a storm, wailing for help. The thunder deafened her, the rain tried to drown her. No one listened. A nice man named Luke found her almost dead in a gutter. He was a priest at Saint Beatrice’s, and that’s where he took her. She was five years old.” 

Rey was crying by the time she ended her litany, and Ben rocked her in his arms in an effort to comfort her. The oven timer went off a few minutes later, so Ben lifted Rey off his lap and went to the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with a tray bearing a plate of steaming cinnamon rolls coated with icing. He set the tray on the ottoman before settling back on the couch. Rey sniffed as the steam floated towards her. The rolls smelled amazing. Her hunger finally beat out her other myriad feelings, making itself known with a loud growl. Rey gingerly stabbed the soft sweet bread with her fork. Her eyes rolled back when the taste hit her tongue, and Ben laughed gently at the face she made. She could say with confidence that she loved cinnamon rolls, too.

“Is that why you’re scared? Are you afraid I’ll leave you like they did?” Ben asked when they’d finished the plate of rolls.

Rey played with her fork idly. “Yes,” she replied softly. “That’s part of it.”

“What’s the rest?”

Rey sighed. “Saint Beatrice’s has been my home for fourteen years. It’s..all I’ve known. All I can remember. What I’ve done...I can’t go back.” Rey wasn’t sure Ben would understand what she was trying to say, but that was the best she could manage when she wasn’t even sure what she was trying to say.

Ben plucked the fork from her limp fingers and set it back on the tray. He took her hands in his, holding them tightly and giving them a firm shake. “Rey, I want to be with you. I’ve wanted that since the second you first looked at me. I’ve never felt this way, about anyone, and it scares me. We have to give this a shot. You make me feel...I can’t even describe it. I can’t promise that we’ll be together forever, but I can promise that I won’t abandon you. I’ll keep you safe I’ll take care of you,” Ben insisted. “Here. With me, in case that wasn’t clear,” he added jokingly.

Rey laughed tearfully, wiping her damp cheek with his fingers, since he refused to let her hands go.

“And, if you have to go back, not that I’ll let you of course, I know Uncle Luke’ll take you in. It’s not in his nature to turn anyone away.” Ben knew she needed to hear that. He understood the need for a safety net. 

Rey blinked up at him in surprise, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she could get words out. “Father Skywalker is your uncle?!”

Ben laughed. “Yeah. Maybe God hasn’t turned His back on me after all.”

Rey jumped into Ben’s lap and hugged him tightly. “Will you come with me? To the church? To talk to him?”

“Of course I will.”


	6. Absolution

They talked for a little while longer after that, about everything and nothing. Rey worried about what she was going to do with herself. She’d never given any thought to a future outside the church.

“Well, didn’t you ever daydream?” Ben asked after he brought her a mug of tea.

Rey stared into the mug as if she was trying to read her reflection, thinking deeply. “I suppose I did.”

“What about?”

Rey chewed her lip as she tried to recall. “I always loved working with the children. I liked playing in the park, reading to them. I guess I always daydreamed about being in a place I could make them smile, even if it was just a little bit.”

Ben nodded along, pondering. “Maybe you can volunteer at a school. Or the library in the children’s department. It’s a place to start.”

Rey smiled and leaned her head against Ben’s shoulder. “I’d like that.”

Ben rested his hand on her knee, rubbing her scrape gently. His insides felt like they were glowing.

Rey frowned as a thought occurred to her. “What will I wear?” She imagined she’d be able to keep the few pieces of clothing she technically owned, but they were all more or less the same shades of white, black, and grey.

Ben laughed. “We’ll go somewhere and get you some clothes. That one won’t be hard.”

“But I don’t really have any...money,” Rey mumbled. She didn’t want Ben to buy a whole new wardrobe for her. 

“Will you let me worry about that?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You can’t do that! That’s...too much!”

Ben looked at her, his eyebrow raised high. “What exactly are the other options currently?”

Rey crossed her arms. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “It just seems like…” she shrugged helplessly.

Ben understood, somewhat. The whole thing smacked of ‘sugar daddy’ or ‘mistress,’ neither of which described what was happening. Ben wanted to do this for Rey, to help her start a new life. She was stepping away from a situation where her basic needs had been provided for into a life where she had next to nothing. She owed him nothing. Although, if she wanted to thank him with her body, he certainly wasn’t going to say no. He just didn’t want her to feel like she had to. He took her mug and set it on the tray, taking her hands in his again.

“Rey, you’re walking away from a life where your basic needs were always met into one where they’re not. I want to help you. You won’t owe me anything. Please don’t feel guilty about that. If it makes you feel better, we’ll save the receipts and you can pay me back some time in the future. Okay?”

Rey frowned and thought a moment. What he said made sense. “Okay,” she said, nodding and picking her mug back up. She snuggled into the deep cushions of the couch to drink her tea, her knees bent and tucked close. Ben switched on the TV to a news program, lying down on his side with one hand barely resting on her bent knee. When Rey finished her tea, she leaned over Ben’s knees to put the mug back on the tray. Ben snatched her around the waist and pulled her down on her side in front of him, holding her close. Rey tried to listen to the news anchor, but his voice soon lulled her back to sleep. 

***

She was dreaming. She was walking barefoot through a sun dappled meadow, the grass and flowers soft beneath her feet. Her knee length pale pink silk dress ruffled around her in the warm breeze, a whisper against her skin. She came upon an ancient spring, tucked in a grove of trees. A spirit was said to live there, but she already knew that. Rey sat on a large boulder at the edge of the spring and waited for the spirit to appear. When it did, it took the form of a man. Of Ben. He glowed with a gentle radiance, and Rey found herself in awe of the warmth he exuded. She held her arms out to him, and her spirit approached eagerly, wrapping her in a strong embrace. A breathy sigh escaped her lips when his hands moved from her back to her thighs, coasting up under her dress. 

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, “Wake up, Rey.”

Her eyes snapped open. The TV was still on, and she was still on the couch with Ben. Except now his mouth was on her neck and his hand was beneath the shirt she was wearing. There was also a very familiar stiffness pressing against her back. His grip was firm on her hip, his fingers kneading and massaging as he pulled her back closer to him. He ground his hips against her, letting her feel just how hard he was for her. Some heretofore unknown deep inner part of Rey preened at the idea that she could make him feel this way.

“There you are. Where did you go?” Ben asked, his voice a low rumble. His fingers dipped between her thighs to tease her. Rey whined and tried to widen her hips, but he made a scolding sound, so she held still.

“I was dreaming,” she whispered shakily. 

Ben kept kissing and nibbling her neck, his touch maddeningly light. “Of what?”

Rey moaned when he finally parted her, dragging a finger slowly through her slick heat. “Of you.”

“What was I doing?”

“I don’t know. You woke me up before we got to that part,” she teased.

Ben hummed in response and dragged his hand up to cup her breast, squeezing and pinching the supple flesh. He moved away from her neck and pushed himself up on one arm. He looked down at her face, her skin flushed with pleasure, her lips parted and her breath panting. Her gaze was unfocused, her eyes dilated beyond belief.

“I want to taste your pleasure, Rey,” Ben purred.

Rey blinked a couple of times, confused. _He didn’t mean…_

Ben gave her a wicked grin as he pushed himself around her and off the couch to kneel on the floor.

“Sit up,” he commanded gently.

Rey obeyed, pushing her torso up and keeping her legs bent on the seat.

Ben cocked an eyebrow and reached for her ankles, pulling her into a sitting position in front of him. He held her gaze as he pushed her thighs apart. Rey bit her lip nervously. _He did mean…_

“Don’t be nervous,” Ben whispered. Rey started to shake as he began to kiss the insides of her knees, her thighs, until he had her reclining against the cushions with her legs draped over his shoulders, his large hands holding her open to him.

“B-Ben…” Rey stammered, feeling his warm breath so close to her core. She felt a rush of wet heat seeing his dark head between her thighs, his shirt pushed up past her hips.

He grinned darkly up at her again, nipping the skin of her inner thigh, making her yelp. “God, you’re so good. So wet for me,” he growled.

He licked through her velvet folds and moaned at the taste of her. Sweet and salt and _her_. Rey cried out and her hands fisted in his hair, pulling and tugging just on the side of painful. Ben licked with broad determined strokes, quickly finding her sensitive bundle of nerves and teasing it with the tip of his tongue. Rey moaned and tried to grind her hips against his mouth, but his strong hands kept her pinned. When she started begging and pleading breathlessly for more, he wrapped his mouth around her clit and sucked gently. Rey’s body shook and she screamed his name as another wave of wet heat coated her. She cried and whimpered as Ben eagerly lapped it up, moving from her clit to her soaked entrance. He thrust and swirled his tongue, but it was nowhere near enough for Rey. 

She tugged his hair. Ben lifted his eyes to hers, but kept his mouth where it was, moving back to her sensitive clit. Rey threw her head back and panted pleadingly, “Ben. Please.”

Ben released her from his mouth and whispered, “Please what? Be a good girl and ask nicely.”

Rey moaned at his insistence. “I need you, Ben. I need you inside me. Please,” she begged.

Ben laughed lowly as he pushed himself up, kissing each of her thighs in turn. “You’ll have to be patient. I have to go upstairs for…”

“NO!” Rey cried sharply. “Now! I want you now,” she insisted, pawing and pulling at his sweatpants. He groaned deeply when she managed to wrap her hand around his weeping cock.

“Rey,” he began. His protest died quickly as she began to stroke and pump him. “Oh fuck,” he groaned. He kicked his sweats off the rest of the way and hoisted Rey into his arms. He sat back down on the couch and yanked his t-shirt over her head as Rey kneeled over his lap, resting her hands on his broad shoulders. He moaned and began to plead as Rey started to roll her hips, his hard cock sliding through her slick core. He was so used to being the one in command, it felt almost liberating to give up control to someone else, to give control of his pleasure over to Rey.

“Shh,” Rey whispered soothingly as she held his head to her chest, her hips keeping their steady slow pace. “I want to feel you, Ben. All of you. Please let me.”

“Yes,” he sighed. “Please, sweetheart. I’ll be so good. Please.” He was shocked to feel his hands shaking on her hips as he helped her lift herself off his lap.

Rey leaned down, her lips a hair's breadth from his, and murmured, “Since you asked so nicely.”

She sank herself slowly onto his cock, inch by tortuous inch, until he was seated completely inside her. “Oh my God, Rey,” he sobbed, completely undone by the feeling of her warm walls around him.

She silenced him with her mouth, kissing his lips reverently as she started to roll her hips again, fucking him slowly, gently. They drank up each other’s pants and love sounds, their fingers intertwined. Rey began to pick up her pace as she chased her pleasure, breaking their kiss and throwing her head back to cry freely. Ben clenched his jaw and held on until he felt her cunt flutter around him. _Exquisite. Beautiful. Oh fuck..._

“Rey, I have to…” he groaned through gritted teeth.

Rey whimpered and lifted off him with a hiss. Ben held her trembling body tightly in his arms as he came between them with a hoarse cry, his spend hot and sticky feeling. Rey felt around for the shirt beside him, trying awkwardly to help clean them both up.

“We’ll have to shower again,” Rey complained.

“Oh no, how terrible,” Ben replied teasingly as he lightly smacked her hip. Rey laughed, the sound bright and cheerful in the dim room.

***

Rey asked the cab to pull over about a block away from the church. It was still raining, but she and Ben were sheltered by the large black umbrella he held. She walked slowly, hand in hand with him, pondering the events of the morning, of what they had discussed. Well, except for _those_ events. She turned words and speeches over and over in her head, trying to find something that sounded right. Before she knew it, they were at the steps of the church, the massive wood doors looming in front of them. Ben squeezed her hand.

“Ready?” he asked gently.

Rey sighed. “No, but it’ll be okay.”

Ben nodded and led her up the steps, closing and shaking the umbrella before pushing the door open for her. The sanctuary was warmly lit, all golden and silent. The pews were mostly empty, only a few heads bent in silent prayer. About half of the memorial votive candles in their red glass holders were lit, casting a gentle glow in a dark corner of the space. Rey dipped her fingers in the holy water, crossing herself as she approached the nave. Father Skywalker stood looking up at the massive crucifix, his hands clasped behind his back. Ben slid into a pew and sat as Rey gingerly approached the older man.

“Father Skywalker?” she whispered.

Luke turned, his blue eyes bright. He smiled kindly, putting her immediately at ease.

“Good afternoon, Rey.” he looked past her shoulder at Ben, who was intently studying one of the stained glass windows. His smile broadened. “I sense there is something you’d like to tell me.”

Rey nodded, blushing slightly. 

Luke reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. “Come into my office,” he urged quietly. 

She followed Luke from the sanctuary down a short hallway to a closed door. Luke opened it and motioned her inside to one of the upholstered chairs opposite a large impressively old looking desk. A glass cabinet with an array of religious texts stood off to the side. A reading lamp and a phone were the only things on the scarred desktop. Luke sat behind the desk and picked up the phone, pushing a speed dial button.

“Yes, Sister Mary? This is Father Skywalker. Could you send Sister Shannon, Rose, and Paige to my office with the suitcase I had prepared? Thank you.”

Rey’s mouth fell open, tears forming in her eyes. “Wha-? Father Skywalker?”

Luke arched a grey brow in a way she was all too familiar with. “Is that not why you came? To tell me you were leaving?”

Rey blinked. “Well, yes.”

“I wanted to have your things ready. And your friends wanted to wish you farewell. Also, Sister Shannon.”

Rey smiled and laughed tearfully. “Seems like you already had things figured out.”

Luke smiled kindly again, reaching for her hand. She took his and he gave hers a kind pat. “I saw you both in the park. That’s not something you see everyday, Rey. Something so beautiful, so blessed. Something that goes deeper than pure physical feeling.”

Rey blushed and looked away.

Luke laughed. “I was young once. And I can see that whatever you have with my nephew, it runs deep.”

“I was...afraid, Father. You’ve done so much for me, and I felt…”

Luke held his hand up, stopping her. “Rey,” he began gently, “You have made no official vows. You are not beholden to me, to the church. To anyone. I knew when I took you in that it wasn’t going to be forever, even when you committed yourself to the novitiate. You just needed something, someone, to show you a different place in all this, but rest assured, you’ll always have a home here.”

It was then that a soft knock came a the door.

“Enter,” Luke called.

Sister Shannon poked her head in the doorway, throwing it back fully when she saw Rey. She flew in, her black habit billowing, and wrapped her arms tightly around Rey, hugging her fiercely.

“Oh, Child! I was so worried!” she exclaimed. Rose and Paige followed her in, Rose holding a small suitcase in one hand. They both smiled broadly, somewhat knowingly, at Rey. Rey gave them a wink, causing them to titter with laughter. Sister Shannon released Rey and held her hand out for the suitcase. She pressed it into Rey’s lap, saying it was Rey’s clothes and few belongings. Rey thanked her and assured the Sister that they would see each other again. Sister Shannon left after giving Rey another hug, blowing her nose loudly into a handkerchief. 

Rey got up from the chair and rushed at Rose and Paige, the sisters holding Rey close. Rey promised she’d see them again. They followed Luke and Rey out of the office and back down the hall, standing beside Luke as Rey made her way back to Ben. Ben lifted his arm and waved tentatively at his uncle, Rose, and Paige. All three beamed back at him. He rose quickly and held his free hand out to Rey. Rey smiled and took it, interlacing their fingers as they walked down the aisle and back out into the warm rain.

When she stopped at the threshold, Ben looked down, worried. “Ready?” he asked tentatively.

She looked up at him, her eyes bright. She squeezed his fingers in hers. “Ready.”


End file.
